Geoege watkinson



(Modem G. WATKINSON. India-Rubber Boots.

No. 228,498. Patented June 8,1880.

NPETEM mm-umuampnzn, WASHINGTON. D C.

NrrED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

L. CANDEE & CO.,

OF SAME PLACE.

INDIA-RUBBER BOOT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N 0. 228,498, dated June 8, 1880.

Application filed April 2, 1880.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEO. WATKINsoN, of New Haven, in the county of New Haven and State of Connecticut, have invented a new Improvement in India-Rubber Boots; and I do hereby declare the following, when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, and the letters of reference marked thereon, to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, and which said drawing-constitutes part of this specification, and represents a longitudinal section of a boot.

This invention relates to an improvement in india-rubber boots.

In the usual construction the boot is lined throughout with felt, or a similar fabricated material, for the purpose of giving warmth to the foot; but a serious difficulty arises from this lining, from its great retention of moisture. It frequently occurs that snow or water enters the top of the boot and is there quickly absorbed by the lining, and will not readily dry, except it be removed from the foot and exposed to heat or other drying devices; hence it is that many persons are led to use that class of boots which are not so lined, preferring to suffer from the cold eonsequent upon the direct contact of the rubber with the foot rather than from the uncomfortable moisture around the leg.

The object of this invention is to combine in a boot the warmth for the foot with a rubber or waiter-proof lined leg and it consists in the construction, as hereinafter described, and particularly recited in the claim.

The general form and cut of the boot is that generally used in the manufacture of this class of rubber boots.

Over the foot portion, forward of the ankle, 0 a felt or similar lining, a, is placed in the usual manner of placingthe felt lining for the leg and foot. Then down the leg and onto this felt lining a an india-rubber lining, I), is placed. By india-rubber lining I mean a fabric coated with india-rubber upon the surface which is to form the inside of the boot, and it may be a thin layer of rubber, and then the fabric applied to that. Over this com- (Model.)

bined felt and rubber lining the outer layers are placed in the usual manner, the sole ap- 5o plied, and the boot finished from this point also in the usual manner. This construction gives a water-proof or non-absorbent lining around the leg and heel, while the foot is lined with the warmer material. It also gives a freedom about the ankle and heel, which enables a better ventilationof the boot than when the felt-lining is continued around the heel and ankle.

The rubber lining for the leg and heel 6o avoids the difficulty which exists in felt or fabric lined boots in that such lining quickly wears through and so as to peel off or fold over onto itself, to the great discomfortof the wearer.

Again, with the ordinary felt lining in the leg there is not sufficient stiifness or rigidity to retain its form, so that it settles down in folds around the ankle, not only making the boot uncomfortable for the wearer, but caus- 7o ing the leg to break or crack in the folds and a consequent leakage. The additional rubber lining stiffens the leg and prevents this lastmentioned difficulty.

Again, the rubber lining around the heel prevents the wear upon the stocking at that point, which is the result of a felt lining at the heel.

Thus I combine in a single boot not only all the advantages of a completely-lined boot and an unlined boot, but a ventilation and comfort to the wearer which cannot be attained in either.

By the term felt I wish to be understood as embodying analogous material.

I claim The herein-described improvement in indiarubber boots, consisting of the usual outer structure for the leg and foot, with a felt lining in the foot portion, front of the ankle-line, and a lining of india-rubber for the leg and heel portions, substantially as described.

GEORGE \VATKINSON.

Witnesses:

J 0s. 0. EARLE, J. H. SHUMWAY. 

